I actually prefer hard techniques when it comes to actual self-defense or sparring.

I am possessed of decent speed, and I've done a lot of bone conditioning (painful stuff...) so it's not too difficult to just use gauging, checks, feints, and blocks to find a decent opening.

I have more flexibility than most guys as well, but I find that soft techniques are too defensive. They are also more difficult to use. They are extremely valuable when it comes to avoiding attacks and trapping, but I prefer to maintain my distance from the opponent so I can see everything they are doing. I tend to dodge and counter more than block.

You cant really choose one or the other. They are both usefull for the purpose they were design for. Soft techniques are good if your facing an armored oponent and hard techniques are good if you want to cause alot of damage. There both just as important but how useful they are depends on the situation and the users skill